513: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Admission Officer Perspective with Christina Lopez

The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions

Welcome to the next episode to our special three-part series on mental health disclosures in college applications. In Episode 2, Ethan is joined by Christina Lopez, Dean of Enrollment Management at Barnard College. They cover, among other things:

• Why is this topic important—both generally, but also personally, for Christina?
• What advice would Christina give to students about whether or not to disclose?
• What does Christina look for in a personal statement?
• How can college counselors and parents help their students navigate this process?
• And more

Christina Lopez has served in college admissions for 18 years. She attended New York University Tisch School of the Arts and majored in Drama and later received her M.Ed. from NYU Steinhardt in Higher Education Administration. After graduating she worked in television and film casting and realized she enjoyed working with students. Her first admissions job was at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC. During her time at NYU, she read for the Stern School of Business and managed the admissions process for Tisch School of the Arts. She joined Barnard’s admissions team in 2014 as the Associate Director for Multicultural Recruitment and now serves as the Dean of Enrollment Management, providing oversight to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.

During her career in higher education, Christina has served as an Executive Board Member for New York State Association of College Admissions Counseling (NYSACAC) and Co-Chair of the Association of Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers of the Ivy League and Sister Schools (ABAFAOILSS). As an advocate for access and equity within higher education, she has previously served on the board of Go To College NYC and Minds Matter, two Community-Based Organizations in NYC that serve under-resourced students as they navigate the college process.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Play-by-Play:

• 2:29 - Why is this topic important—both generally, but also personally, for Christina?
• 4:05 - Christina shares her background
• 15:27 - What advice would Christina give to students about whether or not to disclose?
• 20:36 - What are some different options for where students can disclose if they choose to?
• 23:33 - What information might not be as helpful to disclose?
• 26:00 - What does Christina look for in a personal statement?
• 33:45 - Christina shares some memorable college essays
• 38:22 - How can college counselors help their students navigate this process?
• 40:38 - What should students and families keep in mind during the college admission process?
• 50:31 - Closing thoughts

Resources:

• Blog post linked to this episode: Should I Discuss Mental Health in My Personal Statement or College Application? (And If So, How)?
• Part 1 of this series: Episode 512, Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Counselor Perspective
• Your College Bound Kid Podcast: Christina Lopez on “Mental Health”’
• How to Brainstorm 7 Different Personal Statement Ideas
• Episode 406: Why You Don’t Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead